Students enrolled in Conestoga College’s child development practitioner apprenticeship program hit a mini-jackpot on Thursday.
Waterloo Region announced that it will be giving a $5,000 bursary to students enrolled in the program at the college’s Doon Campus in Kitchener.
“We want to help students to become (registered early childhood educators) by removing existing barriers and encouraging anyone working in a licensed setting to enrol in the program, where they can continue to work and earn a living,” Barb Cardow, director of Children’s Services, stated,
“Early Years and Child Care practitioners play an integral part in a child’s learning. This investment will help to support those seeking a career in this rewarding profession that is vital to the children and families in our community.”
The $125,000 the region has allotted for the program is coming from a $4 million federal government fund looking to help address a shortage of staff in early childhood education centres.
Conestoga’s program last three years and looks to provide those working in child care settings without a formal education an opportunity to address that on a part-time basis.